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Lena Nelson Dooley: A "Gift of the Magi" Christmas & Giveaway

12/11/2011

 

This week we welcome Lena Nelson Dooley to Author Memories.

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Award-winning author, Lena Nelson Dooley, has more than 675,000 books in print. She recently received the Will Rogers Medallion award for western fiction. She has been awarded three Carol Award silver pins and received the ACFW Mentor of the Year award. Helping other authors become published really floats her boat. And she loves chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Travel is always on her horizon. Cruising, Galveston, the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Mexico. One day it will be Hawaii and Australia, but probably not at the same time.  The high point of her day is receiving feedback from her readers, especially her fans. 

A "Gift of the Magi" Christmas
by Lena Nelson Dooley

Do you remember the short story “The Gift of the Magi”? I always loved that story.

Early in our marriage, James and I had a similar, but different, Christmas event. We had two preschoolers, and money was tight.
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Lena took this photo the year after this memory took place.

Before we married, my husband had built several things in woodworking class. We had an end table/bookcase in our home that he had made. The workmanship was awesome.

So that year, I decided Christmas was going to be special for the man I loved. The best husband and father I knew. For about six months, I saved every penny I could from the grocery money and hid it away. A friend of ours worked in the power tool department of Sears. He helped me purchase James a saber saw at a price I could afford. I wrapped it and hid it away.

Then on Christmas Eve, after our children had opened all their packages and were either playing with them or the boxes they arrived in, I pulled out the package. I returned to the den to discover my sweetheart holding a rather large package for me.  He had saved every penny he could for an equal amount of time.

While I was in college, I put together a collection of LP record albums. (For those of you who are too young to understand, they were how the music came before CDs.) Without any way to play them, they were taking up space.

James thrust the package toward me. I opened it while he watched every move, waiting for my reaction to the HiFi set he'd purchased for me. Then he opened my present to him, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him, waiting for the moment when he would realize what I’d done. Each of us received a double blessing that year—a wonderful and useful present as well as the satisfaction of being able to bless our spouses.

We spent many an hour listening to music on that HiFi, complete with AM/FM radio, twin speakers, and a turntable. And on Christmas day, James used the saber saw and his hand tools to build our daughters a shelf unit where they could store their toys.

Sometimes, the best gifts are the ones you receive. Other times, they are the ones you give. That year the gifts were both of those things.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address
by midnight, Dec 18th
to be entered to win a copy of Lena's giveaway,
Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe
Note: Maggie's Journey is NOT the giveaway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie's Journey, In stores now
Realms - a Charisma House Company

Please note - Maggie's Journey is NOT the giveaway. See giveaway above in red.
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A girl who’s been lied to her whole life…

Near her eighteenth birthday, Margaret Lenora Caine finds a chest hidden in the attic containing proof that she was adopted. The daughter of wealthy merchants in Seattle, she feels betrayed both by her real parents and by the ones who raised her. Maggie desires a place where she belongs. But her mother’s constant criticism and reminders that she doesn't fit the mold of a young woman of their social standing have already created tension in their home. With the discovery of the family secret, all sense of her identity is lost. When Maggie asks to visit her grandmother in Arkansas, her father agrees on the condition that she take her Aunt Georgia as a chaperone and his young partner, Charles Stanton, as protection on the journey. Will she discover who she really is and, more importantly, what truly matters most in life?

Maggie's Journey is Book 1 in the McKenna's Daughters Series



For more info about Lena's books, info for book clubs, recipes,
and Gate Beautiful Blog Talk Radio, check her website:

www.lenanelsondooley.com

Lena participates in the following blogs: 

A Christian Writer's World - http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/
Bustles and Spurs - http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/
Just the Write Charisma - http://justthewritecharisma.blogspot.com/


Lane Hill House link
12/11/2011 01:26:44 pm

Aren't these memories wonderful to look back upon and share with our family of Christmases.
I would so much love a copy of Maggie's Journey! I would love to read her story.
I have been following this book all over! I have not been acquainted with Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe. Merry Christmas!!
lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net

Salena Stormo link
12/12/2011 12:47:17 am

Lena, thanks for sharing your memories! Merry Christmas!

Salena

Debby Lee link
12/12/2011 08:15:34 am

Hi Lena, what a sweet heart warming memory, thanks for taking the time to share. Wishing you all the best with sales.
Sincerely, Debby Lee
sanddlee[at]aol[dot]com

DebH
12/12/2011 10:21:10 pm

I love the memory story. I've been blessed with quite a few Christmases with similar special gifting memories. I agree that sometimes finding the perfect gift for the one you love supercedes any gift you may receive.

would love to read Maggie's Journey. being an adoptee myself (who found her birth parents) I always love to see how authors address this subject.
nm8r67 at hotmail dot com

Jo
12/13/2011 12:29:58 am

What wonderful memories you and your husband have shared of that Christmas. What a special time that was. I know that I love the memories that my husband and I share together. They are so special!

I would love to read "Maggie's Journey". It sounds like a wonderful story!

Blessings,
Jo from Southern Arizona

Anita Mae
12/13/2011 02:42:15 am

Thanks for stopping by everyone, and I appreciate the interest you're all showing in our showcased book, Maggie's Journey, however, it's NOT the giveaway.

Lena's giveaway is for a copy of CHRISTMAS LOVE AT LAKE TAHOE.

So far, all the names above are being entered for the Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe giveaway so if you don't want to be entered, please let me know.

wendy
12/14/2011 08:40:56 am

I would love to win Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe. I love Christmas stories.
wsmarple/at/gmail/dot/com

karenk
12/14/2011 12:29:30 pm

thanks for the chance to read this fabulous christmas story :)

~merry christmas

Merry
12/14/2011 08:54:15 pm

Lovely Christmas memory, Lena. I'd love to be entered for Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe.
worthy2bpraised at gmail dot com

Marianne Barkman link
12/15/2011 01:10:38 am

Lena, thanks for directing me to this website! and giving us another insite into your life.i am following it now! and also to Anita for offering Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe.

Anita Mae
12/15/2011 03:51:07 am

Okay, got all your names sitting in my hat and waiting for Sunday.

And much as I'd love to say thanks and run with it Marianne, Lena's the one giving away the book. I'm just here to keep you all informed of what's going on and making sure you don't get out of line in the stampede. *heh

But while we're waiting, I'll tell you that I can relate to Lena's story.

Hubby and I had only been married a couple years when I saw the weight bench on sale and bought it for him. As a military member, I was in excellent shape back then and had no problem carrying the 70 lb box of weights up the stairs and hiding them in our spare bedroom.

Shortly after that, I found out I was pregnant. The months sped by (I'm an early shopper) and then we had the baby 2 months early. Yikes!

A few days before Christmas I lugged the 70 lbs of weights back down the stairs to wrap and put under the tree. Not the thing you want to be doing when you're 2 wks post-partum. I would've asked a friend or neighbor, but thought *meh, no problem. After all, I had been in shape just a few months ago, right? Ugh.

Linda link
12/15/2011 06:04:30 am

Lena's stories are unforgettable. Please enter me for a copy of CHRISTMAS LOVE AT LAKE TAHOE.

Maggie's Journey is priceless.

Linda link
12/15/2011 06:05:34 am

Forgot my email address.

desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

Lena Nelson Dooley link
12/15/2011 07:12:47 am

Hi, everyone. So glad you stopped by. Today has been nuts. We've been having storms, I was hosting a Blogtalk radio show, and I'm getting ready for my critique groups Christmas Party in my home tonight.

Thank you for those who have read some of my stories and loved them. Fans like you keep me going.

I've heard from quite a few adoptees who loved Maggie's Journey.

My cousin, who has been to Lake Tahoe in the winter, said she really loved the giveaway book.

Aizess link
12/15/2011 10:11:45 am

That was a wonderful memory, Lena. Thanks for the chance to win this book! Please enter me!

Merry Christmas!!!

Wendy Shoutls
12/15/2011 02:55:56 pm

Sounds like a wonderful read.
Thank you for the chance.
Wendy
wdesirees[at]yahoo[dot]com

Ann Miller link
12/17/2011 04:05:24 am

I love Lake Tahoe and would really enjoy reading a book set there. :)

anita mae
12/17/2011 09:37:25 am

Aizess - yes, you're entered.

Your name is new to me. How do you pronounce it? Is it real or for the web use only?

Anita Mae.
12/17/2011 09:45:41 am

Just stopped in for a second to say hi and thank you all for checking the site and entering Lena's giveaway during this busy season. :)

caralynnjames link
12/18/2011 03:11:58 am

Hi, Lena and Anita Mae.

Lena, I love your Christmas story and the picture of your husband and kids. It's also fun to go back and look through old albums of Christmas' past.

Please enter me in the drawing for your new Christmas book.

Janet K Brown link
12/18/2011 06:47:56 am

Such a sweet story. Thanks for sharing, Lena. I love your writing. You once helped me by critiquing my mss @ ACFW conference. Thanks, Anita Mae, for posting Lena's story. I would love a copy of her new book.

Ann Miller link
12/19/2011 01:13:24 am

I really enjoyed Masquerade Marriage and would love to win Anne's new book!

Lena Nelson Dooley link
12/19/2011 05:00:09 am

Thank you all for stopping by. Yes, Janet, I remember you.

Anita Mae
12/19/2011 06:01:29 am

Lena, thank you for sharing your Christmas memory with us this week. Like others, I really enjoyed seeing the photo of your family from years gone by and appreciate the time it took to write the post as well as dig out the photo. :)

God bless you,

Anita Mae.

Anita Mae
12/19/2011 06:10:58 am

Drum roll, please... with the help of random.org I've drawn a name for a copy of Lena's Christmas book, Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe. And the winner is...

Debby Lee!

Yay, Debby. I'll send your name and email address to Lena and she'll be in touch with you for your postal particulars.

Thank you everyone for visiting Author Memories and showing your interest in Lena's writing.

This week, Anne Greene is back with a Christmas memory most - if not all - of you will relate to and she's giving away a download of her current release - A Texas Christmas Mystery. So pop over to www.anitamaedraper.com/author-memories.html and check out Anne's post.

Merry Christmas!

Anita Mae.

Christmas party magician link
8/27/2013 04:07:38 pm

Wow what a post put by author of this blog such really interesting .thank to you given interest on this subject.


Comments are closed.
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